Is it possible to identify the inguinal nerves during hernioplasty? A systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis of cadaveric and surgical studies.

The identification rates of the inguinal nerves in our study were lower than reported in literature. The lowest was found for GNF, suggesting that this nerve was the most difficult to identify. Knowledge regarding the anatomy of the inguinal nerves can facilitate their proper identification and reduce the risk of iatrogenic injury and postoperative pain.